Estadio Urbieta (Gernika Rugby Taldea)

Gernika Rugby Taldea

Estadio Urbieta

Gernika-Lumo, Spain

Capacity of 1000

On opening, the football stadium consisted of just the one stand on the west side of the ground and an artificial playing surface. This has a raised seating deck that sits above changing facilities and offices. This main body of the stand also contains changing facilities for the town's senior rugby club, who play on an adjacent field to the west. 1500 multicoloured seats sit beneath a perspex cantilevered roof, the profile of which resembles the wing of an old bi-plane as it undulates along the west side. The roof is held in place by natural oak beams, which when combined with the clear panels, ensure that the whole structure is bright, light and airy.

To the south of the rugby and football pitches is another artificial football pitch and to the north is an indoor complex that hosts amongst other things, the ridiculously fast racquet game of Pelota. In 2011, work commenced on 60 metre long grada on the east side of the ground. This sits between the floodlights and will house 1000 seats when complete. Gernika Club has remained in the higher reaches of Group IV of the Tercera since relegation in 2003 and has appeared in the end of season play-offs on three occasions in recent years, the most recent being in 2008, when they lost to Atletico Baleares. The club is well placed this season and if they manage to navigate the play-offs, Urbieta will serve them well in Segunda B.